Caribou have roamed the barrens of Newfoundland and Labrador since long before anyone kept a written record, and for the people of Labrador — and the hunters of the island’s interior — caribou meat was the staff of life. It was dried for the winter, roasted for celebrations and simmered in stews that carried families through the cold months. A pot of caribou stew, dark and rich from long cooking, is the taste of the Big Land itself.
What makes it great is the meat’s deep, wild flavour — leaner than beef, with a clean, almost sweet richness that needs only time and a little fat to shine. Simmered slowly with onions and root vegetables, the caribou becomes meltingly tender and the gravy turns dark and glossy. Serve it over boiled potatoes or with a chunk of crusty bread, and you’ll understand why hunters plan their whole fall around filling the freezer.
